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Last month, WW issued its endorsements for the May 19 primary. (You can find our choices here.) As usual, our decisions were met with mixed reviews. Whether you agree with us or not, please remember to vote. Ballots must be returned by 8 pm Tuesday, May 19.
Henry Kraemer, via Twitter: "I appreciate Willamette Week for its intrepid reporting. It's an invaluable asset to the Portland and Oregon community. But man alive, did they blow it on these endorsements, basically top to bottom. I'm pretty floored.
"[Mark] Hass was a big booster for Kitzhaber's indefensible special session to give Nike a tax break and almost scuttled the effort to raise taxes on wealthy people and corporations during the last recession. But Shemia Fagan's labor support is a deal breaker for Willamette Week? I just can't.…I generally love Willamette Week, but their lust for pension cuts is a consistent problem."
Andi Costa, via Facebook: "Not bad picks, except for [Sam] Adams. [Mingus] Mapps for me. Looking at [Ted] Wheeler, I think he's learned a lot, especially in the last year, and his competition is really a joke anyway. Hopefully, they're all serious about changing Portland's form of government. It's killing this city, regardless who is in office."
Brian Saville Allard, via Facebook: "Absolute trash. I don't think you got a single one right. Wheeler? ADAMS? Do you just go with who pays you the most?"
Steve, via wweek.com: "I wouldn't bank on the public employees union buying too much advertising from you in the future."
Eugene, via wweek.com: "Hey, Willy Week, you're crying about a need for money but not realizing this [homeless services] tax will affect your potential advertisers' ability to pay?"
TC, via wweek.com: "Voting yes on tax measures? Fools! Enjoy your cost of living increase because that's what is. Don't complain next year when you're struggling to get by."
Margot Black for City Council, Google It
I'm a mathematician, so I approach problems in steps.
WW wrote in their endorsement ["Democracy, Delivered," April 29, 2020], "Black and [Julia] DeGraw's advocacy work is narrow, and they lack much in the way of managerial or budgetary experience."
I'm sorry, what? As director of the Math Skills Center at Lewis & Clark College, I grew a shop with roughly 12 employees and a five-figure budget to the multidepartment Symbolic and Quantitative Resource Center, where I oversaw 50 employees.
With a seven-figure grant, I advocated for—and accomplished—changes to testing and college math curricula. If you want to wade through layers of committees, accreditation and board hearings, try changing a standardized test. Or a curriculum. Through this work, I earned a position on the board of the National Numeracy Network.
I've managed big budgets, large departments, and my advocacy ranges from numeracy to maternity benefits to tenant rights.
Politely—write her name the fuck in Google before you call a woman "inexperienced" or "narrow" again. And if you value experience managing budgets, staff, and being an everyday working, renting person, vote for me, Margot Black.
Margot Black
Candidate for City Commissioner, Position 2
Letters to the editor must include the author's street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words.
Submit to: 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210.
Email: mzusman@wweek.com