A glimmer of hope for Portland
The slowness of this news week was interrupted this hour with the news that Sharon Meieran is running for Multnomah County chair. Maybe this time around, the judgment-challenged voters of the county will put her in charge, rather than a clown like Jessica Chevy Vega, who narrowly defeated Meieran four years ago.
The county has contributed mightily to the downfall of Portland over the last decade. While she sat on the county board, Meieran called out one mistake after another as they were being made. She was outvoted too many times. As chair of the board, she would put the machinery of the county on a much better track.
Traditionally, I'd be afraid that Meieran and the other adult candidate, Julia Brim-Edwards, would cancel each other out, leaving us with that hideous Shannon Singleton to run the county into the ground. But this time around, we have "rank choice" voting, which makes it pretty easy to vote no on Singleton. You vote Meieran first and JBE second, and leave Singleton out.
In the last chair race, which featured a primary, Meieran was slow to get out the gate, and although she was closing toward the end, she ran out of time. Let's hope she comes out hitting hard this time.
Let's hope they can work together to make sure one of them gets the chair. Do they have to give up their seat if they lose, assuming the term is not ending?
ReplyDeleteI believe that under amendments to the county charter, they can stay as commissioners even if they lose as chair. All the more reason to vote for Meieran, in my book.
DeleteJulia B-E is all hat and no cattle. She's adept at sounding conciliatory, then votes the progressive party line.
ReplyDeleteShe's been on the school board for a long time, and it has gone steadily downhill the whole while. 'm hoping that Meieran can outrun her and take control of the county agenda.
DeleteMeiernan vs. Vega-Pedersen. Elections really do have consequences, don't they?
DeleteJVP is not running for re-election. To her credit, she figured out early that she'd lose. Time to cash in!
DeleteI realize there's limited choices in this race...but I will not forget when Meieran went off to Hawaii after telling all of us that we had to stay home, close the schools, lock everything down. I recall her trying to excuse it by saying she was 'stressed' & needed to get away.
ReplyDeletePoliticians who have an attitude that they can dictate rules to everyone-else & then not follow them themselves need to be pushed out of office, not promoted.
When the Portland area voter choice is between different flavors of socialism, it’s no wonder the business people are thinking about greener pastures.
ReplyDelete"But this time around, we have 'rank choice' voting, which makes it pretty easy to vote no on Singleton."
ReplyDeleteIt'll be hilarious if this is the election is the one in which RCV works how its proponents say it works.
Why is Portland/Multnomah County leadership in just about every sphere 80% women. Don't think I'm sexist or a misogynist, but where are the men?
ReplyDeleteThe guys that you think of as men, have left the area.
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