News

Seguridad pública, pequeños negocios y comunidad latina: por qué este tema me importa tanto

La seguridad pública no es teoría. Se vive en la calle, en la familia y en los pequeños negocios. En este artículo hablo desde experiencia personal sobre cómo la inseguridad afecta a una comunidad y por qué necesitamos soluciones reales que incluyan prevención, apoyo y colaboración.

Protect Core Services First

Portland’s budget conversation should start with a simple question: what must be protected first? I wrote this piece about why core services—public safety, infrastructure maintenance, and basic city operations—should come before administrative sprawl, and why the grassroots jobs that keep neighborhoods and businesses connected to city government matter so much.

Public Safety Deserves Honest Funding

Fixing What Is Broken Means Working Together

I had read the Comprehensive Multnomah County Turnaround Plan before, but this time I took a closer look. What stood out to me is how much of it aligns with the way I think about public service: clear accountability, measurable results, and city-county collaboration strong enough to meet the size of the problems we face.

Why Are So Many Storefronts Empty? Understanding the Hidden Rules Behind Commercial Rent

Why are so many storefronts in Portland still sitting empty? The answer is not always what people think. In many cases, the issue is tied to how commercial mortgages are structured and how something called the Debt Service Coverage Ratio can prevent landlords from lowering rents even when the market shifts. This creates a strange situation where spaces remain vacant instead of being leased at a price small businesses could afford. I wrote a short piece explaining how this works and why it may be time for Portland to start exploring practical policy solutions that activate empty storefronts instead of leaving them dark. Empty buildings do not help landlords, small businesses, or neighborhoods. It is time to start having a more informed conversation about how we fix this. Read more below.

Momentum Matters: More Than 100 Small Donors and Growing

Celebration of fundraising success and gratitude to supporters.

Dig Once Coordination and Street Damage Fees: A Practical Pairing for Portland

Portland can reduce repeat street cuts and protect pavement investments by pairing two practical approaches: stronger coordination (Dig Once, joint trench, and “open trench” opportunities) and a street damage restoration fee that reflects the real structural harm trenching causes. PBOT’s own materials show trenching can significantly shorten pavement life and that the volume of excavation is large enough to matter citywide. Coordination only works, though, if the city improves internal alignment and makes the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) more current and usable for early notification. Eugene’s experience reinforces that this is a multi-year effort built on eliminating silos, bringing the right voices to the table, using data and consultant analysis to prioritize action, and tying the work to digital equity and streamlined permitting. An intergovernmental agreement model for “open trench” coordination can provide flexibility while Portland tests and refines an implementation approach before locking it into code.

Fixing Our Streets package will only work if we secure alternative funding and measure results

Fixing Our Streets works because it funds basic, visible transportation needs, but a new package will only be credible if Portland makes alternative funding the central strategy rather than an afterthought. The city should commit to data-based decisions with clear, public performance measures so residents can see what outcomes improved, where, and why. PBOT is already discussing funding concepts that better align costs with impacts, including approaches that address the structural street damage caused by repeated trenching. Any new funding strategy also needs real community outreach, designed so the people most affected by street conditions, safety risks, and construction impacts have a meaningful seat at the table before decisions are finalized.

Candidate Campaign Update: Community Engagement Coffee with Nicole

Updates on community engagement initiatives and upcoming events for the campaign.