And Now a Letter from Mayoral Candidate Mike Reese

Portland Mercury:

Spencer BurtonChief Mike Reese: Occupy Portland City Hall?When Police Chief Mike Reese telephoned labor officials last week and asked to be included in the Northwest Oregon Labor Council forum for mayoral and city council candidates, no one had overdosed yet at Occupy Portland, police hadn't arrested a suspected arsonist hiding in the camp, and Mayor Sam Adams was talking tougher but not ready to call the whole thing off. Then came this weekend's camp eviction. And suddenly Reese—technically still just thinking about becoming a mayoral candidate—found he was too busy being police chief to introduce himself as a candidate and stand alongside his presumed rivals, Charlie Hales, Eileen Brady, and Jefferson Smith. He called the AFL-CIO to tell them that, maybe, you know, he should focus on the job he's got right now. But never fear. Reese wasn't so busy—after also finding time to register his campaign account on Friday—that he didn't have time to (have someone?) draft an extremely long statement that he submitted to the forum instead. Part of that letter was read aloud before the debate, to the amusement of his rivals (Smith asked if he could have a statement read aloud, too). The Mercury has obtained a copy of the full statement, below the cut. It includes what wasn't read aloud last night: the barest skeleton of Reese's platform. Turns out, he likes a lot of the same things labor likes—living-wage jobs, the Columbia River Crossing over Interstate 5, a new Port of Portland terminal on West Hayden Island, and not tinkering with cops' and firefighters' pensions. Less telegraphed are things some other constituents might like: Fewer hurdles for businesses and further consolidation of city bureaus. He also ties up his political ambitions and police background with a tidy little bow, in a way that actually makes sense. As someone who works in public safety, I’ve seen first-hand the personal toll and damages caused by unemployment, under-performing schools and a lack of resources in our social service systems. There is a strong connection between the criminal justice system and a lack of education, opportunity and healthy communities. [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

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