Portland City Commissioner, Position 2
Nonpartisan
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BY WW EDITORIAL STAFF | 503-243-2122
[April 30th, 2008]
Nick Fish
Tattoo he'd get: Dora the Explorer, “in solidarity” with his 4-year-old son.
This is Fish’s third bid for City Council. The labor lawyer who comes from an East Coast political family with roots back to the Revolutionary War got stomped by Randy Leonard in 2002. In 2004, Fish managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by blowing a big lead to some ex-mayoral aide named Sam Adams. That left Fish to lick some of the more serious rug burns we’ve seen in local politics.
We’re not quite sure if Fish’s third run amounts to a desperate grasp for redemption or an admirable demonstration of one man’s persistence. But we’re endorsing the fella (in 2002 we endorsed Leonard; in 2004, Fish) as the one to replace Commissioner Erik Sten, who created this vacancy when he left the job in April.
We’ve watched Fish for six years now (he has augmented his legal business with a public-affairs TV show) and have little doubt of his commitment to civic affairs, his smarts and his willingness to do his homework. He is one of those candidates whom we like “in spite of.”
In spite of the fact he disagrees with WW on publicly financed election campaigns (he opposes them and we don’t—yes it’s a mess, but a mess worth fixing rather than shit-canning). In spite of his opposition to the proposed public takeover of PGE, which we supported. And in spite of the sneaking suspicion that his candidacy is riddled with some Freudian impulse dealing with his family’s DNA for public service. His father, Hamilton, was a longtime Republican congressman whose ancestors included a U.S. senator and secretary of state, congressmen, and Revolutionary War notables. Hell, maybe we should be flattered Nick would even consider our City Council.
In spite of all this, we believe Fish deserves his shot. He’s got a good degree of common sense; his “big idea” is to consolidate the region’s many housing agencies, an idea that ain’t sexy but is smart. He’s honest, has a great work ethic and will be his own man.
He’s preferable to Jim Middaugh, the only candidate in this field who’s publicly financed. Middaugh was Sten’s chief of staff. He is a member of the Columbia River Gorge Commission and a bona fide enviro wonk. We like Middaugh’s green focus. But he doesn’t offer much else. And we’re not confident he’d stand up to a Mayor Adams in any serious way. The two worked together in U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio’s office back in the ’80s. And compared with Adams’ hyper and domineering ways, Middaugh comes off as brash, but less than steely.
We like Fred Stewart, too. He’s a bomb-thrower with the background that’s missing on the Council—Marine Corps vet, business owner and, yes, black on a Council that’s been all-white since 1992. (It’s worth noting that Charles Jordan, the city’s first black commissioner, endorses Fish.) But Stewart’s bluster-to-substance ratio is out of whack. Ed Garren, a therapist who recently moved here from California, is right to bring up renters’ rights. But his candidacy is mostly noise. Finally, Harold Williams Two doesn’t seem to know why he’s running. We don’t, either.
Video of WW endorsement interview (thanks to Portland Community Media)
Fred Stewart is the man.
All that you say about Nick Fish makes perfect sense. There's a lot to say about persistence. The fact that he's honest, has a great work ethic and will be his own man is a good reason for endorsement.
However, you touched upon something very important. You say you like Fred Stewart, too? A man you describe as a bomb thrower with the background that's missing on the Council-local Marine Corps vet, local business owner and, yes, a local black on a Council that's been all-white since 1992. Here's an opportuntiy to endorse a local citizen who has a great desire to serve in a broader capacity withing the community, and someone who isn't afraid to roll up his sleaves and get into the trenches to do it! Your comment that Stewart's bluster-to-substance ratio is out of wack is incomprehensible. What is out of wack? I understand that the Marine Corps may have helped induce the bluster, but I think we need to give this young man an opportunity to show us whether or not there is any real substance involved. My money says that there's as much substance as there is bluster! I too think that Fred Stewart is what's missing on the council. I would personally embrace Fred Stewart to represent me and my family as City Commissioner, Position 2. Let's find out what a real bomb-thrower can do for our city. We need someone with some substance to shake things up from the status quo.
I am going to have to agree with Bradley I am so suprise you did not endore Fred Stewart. I have known Fred for over 8 years I know and and everyone el's that knows Fred and NIck that Fred is the best candidate. There are many people in Portland that fred has helped become home owners when no one else would. People that needed support building their businesses and people that needed his bluster when the chips were down. My family and I are looking forward to giving Fred the endorcment that counts as soon as our ballots arrive.
Nick Fish Deceives Supporters, Voters and Press
Nick Fish SUPPORTS the discredited and abhorrent public policy of unlimited neighborhood concentration of public housing.
Nick Fish OPPOSES the rights of Multnomah county taxpayers, voters and citizens to access public housing statistical data from the Housing Authority of Portland.
Nick Fish, a lawyer trained as a professional wordsmith, continues to PURPOSELY MISLEAD the public by using the amorphous term "affordable" when he speaks about what he knows is, in fact, PUBLIC housing.
ALL of Nick Fish's promises are irrelevant and designed to divert attention from his actual history of decisions which foster low-income public housing ghetto building.
Most of Nick Fish's so-called "housing advocate" supporters are people who make a living or otherwise benefit from tax dollars spent on public housing.
Nick Fish has no support from those demanding ACCOUNTABILITY for the annual spending of $200,000,000 of taxpayer contributions to the public treasury on public housing in Multnomah county.
If you want accountability from the Housing Authority of Portland you didn't get it from Nick Fish when he was on the HAP board and you won't get it from him if he is on the Portland city council.
If you want accountability from the Housing Authority of Portland then please send the following email to Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler, now!
To: Ted Wheeler
CC: Richard Ellmyer
Subject: Filling The HAP Vacancy
Dear Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler:
Five months is more than sufficient time to recruit, hold public discussions, debate and vote to send a recommendation to the mayor of Portland to appoint a citizen who will represent the interests of Multnomah county on the board of the Housing Authority of Portland.
The interests of Multnomah county are served when authentic, accurate, complete and timely public housing statistical data from the Housing Authority of Portland is regularly placed on the public table for consideration by elected policy makers and the citizens of Multnomah county.
The interests of Multnomah county are served when property owners, business owners, neighborhoods and tax payers have their voices heard and interests acknowledged in the competition for public housing policy decision making at the Housing Authority of Portland.
The interests of Multnomah county are served by a policy of equitable distribution of public housing throughout all of Multnomah county's neighborhoods.
Richard Ellmyer has demonstrated seven years of commitment to these policies. I encourage the Multnomah county commission to immediately recommend him to the Portland city council for the position of HAP commissioner representing the interests of Multnomah county.
Sincerely,
Multnomah county voter
Richard Ellmyer
Community activist leading the campaign to stop all potentially new public housing (means test + government subsidy + rental agreement) in the Portsmouth neighborhood, especially the following:
1. Hacienda CDC public housing project on N. Newell Street (PDC ignores ICURAAC request to stop funding.)
2. The former John Ball School site (Portland Hope Meadows Corporation and commissioner Saltzman refuse to make available accurate and complete public data on funders and board members.)
3. The recently closed Clarendon School site (Temporarily defined by PPS as a "swing space.")
Standards for Equitable Distribution of Public Housing Resolution author and project champion
Writer/Publisher - HAP Watchers commentary - Published on the Internet (www.goodgrowthnw.org) and distributed to thousands of readers interested in public housing policy in Multnomah County. To Subscribe: HAP-Watchers-on@goodgrowthnw.org
President, MacSolutions Inc. - A Macintosh computer consulting business providing web hosting for artists and very small businesses. Located in Portsmouth, the neighborhood with the second highest concentration of public housing clients, 30% and rising, within HAP's Multnomah county jurisdiction of 117 neighborhoods.