Metro METRO COUNCIL
1ST DISTRICT Rod Park Metro, the regional governing body, is in trouble. Candidates for Metro Council say they get cursed while canvassing door-to-door. Elected officials are being recalled for carrying out Metro policies. And one former Metro councilor is convinced that people in Clackamas County would vote to abolish Metro today if given the opportunity. The problems stem, in part, from the fact that Metro has approved high-density growth plans without adequately explaining to people the alternative--sprawling on to farm and forest land. Some blame arrogance; others cite poor communication; still others complain that Metro's districts are too large for the part-time councilors to adequately represent. Whatever the reason, the hostility among voters suggests that the Metro Council should be stocked with officials who possess certain skills. They ought to care passionately about regional land-use planning, be able to communicate its virtues to Joe six-pack, and possess the skills to negotiate its finer details with local government and neighborhood leaders. Incumbent Metro Councilor Ruth McFarland has finally persuaded us that she has none of those qualities. At Metro, McFarland's focus has been on solid-waste disposal. It's an issue of great importance to Metro's finances, but there may soon be no Metro to finance unless its councilors get their act together. McFarland, a former teacher and state legislator, is quick to acknowledge her own lack of interest in key growth issues. But that will change, she claims. "I'm trying to be educated in growth management and transportation," she says. We're convinced, however, that McFarland is without the energy, interest or skills needed. Plus, McFarland is saddled with the taint of the "ticketgate" fiasco, which revealed that she accepted free Trail Blazer tickets from a waste-disposal company lobbyist. Rod Park, on the other hand, seems well-equipped for the challenges facing the Metro Council. A farmer from Gresham, Park has already been intimately involved in land-use planning issues. He's done so at the state level as chairman of the Oregon Board of Agriculture, and more locally as a member of Gresham's 2020 Committee. As the owner of a 60-acre urban nursery business, Park is familiar with the pressures that arise from intense urban development. But he believes that the alternative--paving rural farm land--is worse. Park stresses that he can build bridges between Metro constituents, and his campaign seems to support the claim. He's being backed by such strange bedfellows as Republican House Speaker Lynn Lundquist and 1000 Friends of Oregon Director Robert Liberty. He's also endorsed by four local mayors, including Gresham's Gussie McRobert. Park's connections to the soil, his consensus-building skills and the high marks he's earned from those who have worked with him in Gresham and Salem make him the best candidate for Metro District 1.
METRO COUNCIL
2ND DISTRICT John Jackley We're surprised by this one. At first glance, John Jackley comes off as a selfish suburban no-growther. The West Linn city councilor boasts that he wants to "preserve existing neighborhoods" and opposes "extreme densities" mandated by Metro's 2040 plan (which was created with input from local officials like Jackley). That kind of attitude, in its extreme, will force growth onto farm and forest lands. That first impression was somewhat accurate. Jackley would like to steer growth away from West Linn, and he doesn't want suburbs to take their fair share of affordable housing. He doesn't support north-south light rail, and he's received the endorsement of the Metropolitan Portland Home Builders Association because he wants to expand the urban growth boundary by several thousand acres. Still, Jackley is the best candidate in this contest. His ultimate goal is saving regional government from those, like Bill Sizemore, who want to abolish it. That means, he says, Metro must do a better job of listening to the suburbs, not ramming plans down their throat. It may also mean expanding the urban growth boundary slightly--which would be in line with what Metro Executive Mike Burton recommended. We don't necessarily agree with Jackley, but we think he's in sync with the constituents of District 2, who have been ably represented by home builder Don Morissette. Jackley's communication skills and knowledge of government are also impressive--as well they should be: Jackley, 42, is a former congressional aide, Oregon Department of Revenue analyst and legislative assistant in the state Senate. We came close to endorsing Ed Gronke, a former Metro councilor who everyone agrees is a nice, common-sense, credible guy. He's also a retired businessman who vows to give the Metro Council his undivided attention. Problem is, we're not sure what Gronke would do with that time. He doesn't voice specific ideas, doesn't match Jackley's knowledge of details and is hardly brimming with passion. Bill Atherton, a Lake Oswego city councilor, certainly gets excited about growth issues. He'll gladly take you up in his airplane to provide a dramatic aerial view of the sprawl he so abhors. Such elitist policies would artificially stop growth, boosting housing prices so only the affluent could afford to live where they want.
METRO COUNCIL
7TH DISTRICT David Bragdon We'll admit it, we're David Bragdon fans. We were first wowed by Bragdon, 38, when he ran, unsuccessfully, for the state Legislature two years ago. So were his opponents. All three have endorsed his bid for Metro's District 7, which covers Southwest, inner Southeast and part of Milwaukie. Like us, they were impressed by Bragdon's command of facts and the way he marshaled information to reach smart, progressive positions. As a Metro candidate, Bragdon wants to manage growth in a way that protects the environment. He stresses the need to redevelop, or recycle, urban neighborhoods such as Portland's Pearl District to accommodate high-density housing. He wants improved public transit to reduce traffic and pollution. (He's served on city light-rail and streetcar citizen committees.) A Portland native, Bragdon also wants to keep the region's housing affordable. Bragdon's experience allows him to be at home in both the funky Flying Saucer Cafe and the corporate boardroom. On the one hand, he's part of the X-PAC cadre of young Democrats who advocate for transit, the environment and housing. On the other, he's worked in trade operations for Nike and Evergreen Airlines and is currently marketing manager for the Port of Portland. That diversity will help Bragdon grapple with the chief challenge facing Metro: selling citizens on the merits of the 2040 Growth Plan. The council needs someone who sees the big picture, bridges gaps between the various players, and communicates ideas sharply and honestly. Bragdon is just the guy. Bragdon's chief rival is retired businessman Chuck Martin. Long active in Republican and neighborhood politics, Martin has helped build new sidewalks, plant trees and find a home for a group of Northwest Portland industrialists to meet in. As a result, he won a mayor's award for good citizenry. Martin's Metro candidacy has not met the same standards as his neighborhood activism. Indeed, Martin has played fast and loose with the facts. For instance, his campaign literature implies that he's supported by Mayor Vera Katz and two city commissioners--he is not, and the three are peeved because he used their photos without asking. Similarly, Martin says he opposes new Metro taxes but supports a $90 million plan to expand the Convention Center, which would require raising local taxes. He claims he wants "to make this the greenest area in America," yet he knocks those, like Bragdon, who want to protect open spaces by developing more townhouses and smaller lots. There are three other candidates in the race. Union activist Sam Gillispie is a nice chap, but wasn't able to articulate a clear role for Metro in the region. Urban environmentalist Liz Callison is determined to protect streams and watersheds, but her focus is too narrow for the huge task Metro faces. Libertarian oil company engineer Gary Lyndon Dye wants to abolish the urban growth boundary, gut regional government and undo land-use planning. |
